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Employee Engagement: The Pursuit of Happiness

Employee engagement is the biggest HR pain point and often very hard to perfect, even for the most experienced managers. We use it to talk about organisational performance, employee commitment, and individual behavior. But as you might have noticed, all these fall into the category of qualitative, rather than quantitative terms. Or as other people put it - it's all boils down to emotions. But how can you drive something that is hard to measure?

In the past, employers have tried different methods, very often simplified or customised according to their individual needs. But gone are the days when the engagement of employees was only represented by an approximated number based on outcomes of annual, outdated surveys.

With cutting-edge technology, measuring the unmeasurable (in real time!) has finally become possible. Interactive employee engagement software, uses proxy measurements to help businesses better tackle the challenges that every HR team, in every office around the globe, is facing.

Those in favour of smart monitoring techniques, such as feedback platforms, believe that they can bring a lot of good to your office. First things first, they can help to streamline one of the crucial HR tasks – improving your employee happiness.

An office full of happy faces might sound like a utopian vision, but it doesn’t need to if you know how to make the most of the tools you have available and listen to your employees. But first, let’s look at what makes an employee happy.

The pursuit of happiness

A motivated person is someone who feels an emotional commitment to the organization and its goals, which further reflects what he or she does on its behalf. If your employees are engaged, their actions will work for the benefit of your organization.

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They are not only more productive but also more dedicated. Going an extra mile is not a problem for them, neither is the eagerness to promote your business outside the office. The emotional connection they have with the company helps them to stay motivated.

But what if you were told that this could be anyone in your office right now? It is fair to assume that engagement plays an important part in everyone’s life, but simply different things fire us up. A willingness to understand what it is that motivates your team is probably the first step to boost the interest of those who struggle with disengagement.

Take a look below to find out how you can better motivate your people and change the level of productivity:

Show interest – What is currently going well and what isn’t? Is there something that an employee would rather discuss in private, than during a general meeting but hasn’t had the opportunity to? If you are always listening, then the insights that you get will be real time too. And remember, data is your friend. The more information you gather, the more comprehensive you can be.

Engage the leaders first – There is no point trying to engage your people, if your leaders are unmotivated, therefore it is important to make sure that those who are at the forefront of the company, have the necessary interest and stamina themselves. If you think you have a slightly too protective approach towards your staff, let go. Your employees will appreciate if you give them new responsibilities or even new expansive roles Showing your trust, ensures employees you are going beyond contractual agreement.

Avoid creating tensions – No one likes to work in a stressful environment. When your employees feel insecure, the chances that they remain productive are lowered. Compromised confidence and an environment of limitations and constraints are just a few obstacles that can disengage your people.

Be transparent – Building trust is key to any kind of relationship, including work. It is fairly easy to deliver good news, but it takes a lot of courage to speak openly about failures. By remaining transparent about what’s been going on in your company, you can gain respect for remaining truthful.

Show them new possibilities – It’s not a secret that employees thrive at organizations in which they can see clear progression. Employers that nurture engagement by developing new opportunities that include the possibility of being promoted or jumping on more demanding tasks will see their people more motivated. Challenges, of course, are not good for everyone, but it is only natural that your people want to grow forward.